John McMurtrie, book editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, and host Michael Krasny elicit listener recommendations of the best books for that elusive quiet moment during the flurry of this year's holiday season.
Host: Michael Krasny
More info:
- Share your pick online

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The four-month-old California state budget is already out of balance by at least $6.3 billion, according to the nonpartisan California Legislative Analyst. This hour, we take up California's fiscal outlook.
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests:
- John Myers, KQED Sacramento bureau chief
- Jon Fleischman, vice chair of the California Republican Party
- Mark Paul, senior scholar and deputy director for the California Program for the New America Foundation
- Stephen Levy, director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy

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For his new book about the "Ed Sullivan Show," former San Francisco Chronicle columnist Gerald Nachman interviewed more than 60 artists who performed on the program including Carol Burnett, Jackie Mason and Alan King. Nachman joins us to discuss the show and its legacy. His new book is "Right Here on Our Stage Tonight!: Ed Sullivan's America." Nachman's other books include "Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960's" and "Raised on Radio."
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests:
- Gerald Nachman, author, former columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and TV critic for the San Jose Mercury News
More info:
- About the book "Right Here on Our Stage Tonight!: Ed Sullivan's America" : at UCPress.edu

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The Senate faces a crucial vote on Saturday to decide whether it will move the health care bill forward to a floor debate. We get an update on the developments and discuss the next steps.
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests:
- Alain Enthoven, professor emeritus of public and private management at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business
- Jacob Hacker, professor of political science at the Institution for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University
- Mary Agnes Carey, senior correspondent for Kaiser Health News
- Noam Levey, reporter for the Los Angeles Times

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